[joe c]

last year at jay peak the saturn wouldnt start one morning. something about it being -20 i guess. anyway, im going to do an oil change, but was wondering if anyone has any good ideas for preventing the oil from turning into jello over night. how about a dipstick heater? just plug it in for a few minutes before starting?? im not going to pull the motor apart to install anything extravagant. i want something simple, and inexpensive. i also noticed it had issues with the gas. like i had to keep the pedal mashed to the floor to get it to go. and of course it didnt want to run so good until it really warmed up. or should i just say screw it and just get up and start it for an hour at 3am. im asking cuz im going up again in a week or so.

thanks

jc

 

[Geeto67]

Look around the junkyards for a block heater off a chevy, Ford, or Jeep. Measure the freeze plugs of the saturn since some actually go in the freeze plug hole.

Also go to home depot and get some water pipe insulation the size of your fuel line or som einsulating tape. Wrap that around the fuel line and that should help with the fuel problems.

Also change to a hotter range of plugs might help warm up faster.

 

[joe c]

too much work. im not going to fuck around with pulling freeze plugs out for one week a year. i think most of the problem is just that the oil gets too thick. the starter just did not want to crank the engine over. then, when it gets started, its gagging and caughing and weezing and making pump and belt noises like you read aout. the power steering wont even work usually. so it takes along time to warm up. so im going to go with a lighter oil and was thinking about a dipstick heater. last year i tried the hairdryer trick and that didnt work. it was just way too cold. i dont want anything hanging off the bottom of the car. and this thing is about 6" from the ground. its a big enough pain in the ass just to change the oil. if i cant get any good advice anyplace, ill just get up at 3 or 4 and run it for an hour, then shut it down. it worked last time. its just a pain in the ass. and hopefully it wont be that cold again this year.

jc

 

[Ricky]

Joe, you cheap bastard, send it out and have a tune up done.

 

[joe c]

youre a fucker.

ill freeze plug your ass. next time i get my hands on that mb5, its going down. you better put mirrors on that cb350 race bike, cuz you'll wanna know when im comming next time.

seriously, it was a pain in the ass last time. i killed the battery trying to start it last year. i just put a new battery in, and am hoping the thinner oil will help it a bit. im also taking my car starter with me this time.

me

 

[FR]

Joe,
You're on the right track with a light weight oil. I've been using 5w30 in the winter up here (Vermont) and that seems to do it (and you can safely run that till about April or 80Deg.F). I don't know about the Saturn's fuel injection system, I'll assume it's port injection, which is a little different from what I'm used to with Volvos, but on really cold starts, the best bet is to let it crank the first attempt for a long long time. Like close to a minute if necc. and after about 20 to 30 seconds you can give it about a 1/4 throttle, which really is just opening the intake enough to prevent the engine from flooding. A fresh set of plugs isn't a bad idea unless you've had them replaced within 30K miles.
If you're gonna be up at Jay for a while, I'd take a couple runs with you, last one down buys the first round.

FR

 

[joe c]

dude, youre on. i'll bring some money. im not blazing fast, but i can definitely get down the hill no problem. my girlfriend and i will be there from the 15th to the 19th. im pretty sure there will be no cell reception. but i cant remember for sure. i'll drop ya a note before hand though to make some arrangements.

jc

 

[monkey]

dude stop runnin slick 50. never had car probs like that.. but then again my car has other problems

matt

ps not sure if the wife would dig me riding without her. she would be pissed

 

[FR]

Roger that.

FR

Cell reception up around here is hit or miss, mostly miss.

 

[jbranson]

Jeez....just run 5-20wt synthetic and things will move a lot easier. Noticable difference in the winter.
JohnnyB

 

[aaron]

I've been running olive oil in my van since september.

aaron

 

[joe c]

it only happens up there. never have a problem down here. at bretton weve had problems with it running bad on warm up and no power steering initially. lite weight oil, and i'll just keep an eye on it. i know my bonneville in boston used to be a bitch to start on really cold mornings. alot of pushing up and down the hill in the paring lot to get it going. and i know turnbull has told me stories of warming his beemer with a blanket and hairdryer.


thanks anyway.

me

 

[Geeto67]

quote:
it only happens up there. never have a problem down here. at bretton weve had problems with it running bad on warm up and no power steering initially. lite weight oil, and i'll just keep an eye on it. i know my bonneville in boston used to be a bitch to start on really cold mornings. alot of pushing up and down the hill in the paring lot to get it going. and i know turnbull has told me stories of warming his beemer with a blanket and hairdryer.


thanks anyway.

me

it would be piece of mind to change all the fluids. Power steering fluid tends to attract water (as does brake fluid - total blanking on the term for this) and if you have some in the system and it froze you won't have any power steering till it warms up. The posi rear had the same problem (gear oil also attracts water). Just flush all the systems real good and put some heavy duty deap freeze anti freeze in the radiator and run a lighter oil (prefferably a synthetic).

 

[LiLBull]

Like Johhnyb said synth is the ONLY way to go if your oil is doing that .synthetic is more expencive but for your prob its the only answer now go get it and be done with it.and change the filter with it dont be cheap. George lilBull .."running thick oil"here in new fla local..screw the cold go south!!! "Cafe the Nation" Im doing my part.

PS Geeto still great advise ,but this guy wants MAGIC ha ha!



Edited by - LiLBull on Jan 03 2006 06:10:03 AM

 

[joe c]

its not like im cheap. i just dont want to spend a day flushing out coolant to install a block heater. i typically run 20-50 in my truck. i'll swap the saturn to synth or synth blend. the saturn gets everything it needs when it needs it. ie, everything is up to date. probably more than most people here. and i mean everything. hey, somethng around here has to be reliable!


jc

 

[texmawby]

so joe, are you gonna schlep my parts up to the banquet or not? no i still don't want the vic camp on da roof.

i also got a pair of shocks to go to champ.

tex

 

[FR]

Geet0, I b'lieve the term is "hydroscopic"

FR

 

[ttilghman]

Hydrophilic for absorbing water, opposite of hydrophobic.

now what's the term for fear of braking in T3 at NHIS?

-timothy.

i guess i just answered my own question.



Edited by - ttilghman on Jan 03 2006 4:44:30 PM

 

[monkey]

i thought you said hydroponic... ha ha ha

matt

 

[FR]

If the gay flagman is standing in T3, then it would be "homophobic"


FR